MEET THE MAN

MEET THE MAN
BEHIND INGREDIÉN
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élan
hair
design
hair
heroes
green
salon
DIY
ingredien - a
team with
ambition
paka
navas
marín
sustainability
and graphic
design
sustainable design: the
clever way forward
what is
CSR?
CSR - in my and
your world
malaga
fashion
show
Petra De Boer,
Ecodrukkers
sustainable
packaging
sustainability in
print design
When you have a responsibility to make a difference
Sometimes you get across knowledge, which makes you realize
that from now on you have got a new responsibility which you
can never turn your back onto again. I strongly believe this is
what has happened for all participants in the ISCI project when
understanding the challenges ‘hairdresser’ and ‘customers face’.
Unfortunately a lot of people get sick from their work.
Hairdressers are risking their health every day to make others
look beautiful and feel better about themselves. Hairdressers
face problems with their body and skeleton from standing and
walking for hours. This can be difficult enough. But the even
more dangerous part is the chemicals and acids which are put
in the products they use. Believing you are safe when using
‘organic´ products is unfortunately in many cases just a
marketing trick – only 2% in a beauty product has to be organic
in order to be called organic. The rest of the product can be
made of dangerous chemicals, which may cause allergies, can
affect re-production, etc.
Every day hairdressers get sick or invalidated from their
work and customers suffer from allergic reactions. It is time
for us to wake up and understand that there are ways to do
things differently. In the ISCI project, 5 schools across Europe
have taken important steps to be role models for sustainability.
Implementing sustainability in the hair and beauty industry
will take years. Some have to show that it is realistic to change
one step at a time.
In this magazine you will get a better understanding of
some of the problems in the hair and beauty industry. You will
also be presented to some of the ways to avoid endangering
your health as a professional hairdresser and as a user of hair
and beauty products and treatments.
Enjoy and rest assured that from now on you will select
your hair and beauty products with care.
Louise Okon Willie,
Project Coordinator, AARHUS TECH
Having created a niche position
for itself in a fiercely competitive
local market, Élan Hair Design
has worked tirelessly to improve
upon its position as ‘the UK’s
most eco-friendly hair salon.’
Key to this innovative approach has been a
commitment to incorporate almost every conceivable environmentally-friendly initiative –
as demonstrated by a major ‘green’ refurbishment of its Inverurie town centre salon, completed in 2012.
The ongoing project includes the use of
recyclable materials; PV panels to generate
electricity and solar thermal panels to provide
energy for hot water; LED lighting that uses
80% less electricity; and, an air-source heat
pump, saving 80% on heating costs.
The salon understandably uses large volumes of water but thanks to the installation of a
new basin system, water consumption has fallen by 64%.
Élan has also made substantial reductions in
its carbon emissions and the amount of waste
it sends to landfill. This includes sending
customers’ hair clippings, along with other
biodegradable waste, to be spread as compost
on local farmers’ fields.
The business, established more than 40 years ago, is led by Lorna and Gordon Milton
along with their daughters Lanice and Lauren.
Lorna Milton, owner and director of Élan Hair
Design, said: “We made the decision to imple
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ment the new eco-friendly approach on the
back of customer feedback which indicated
they wanted a greener and more sustainable
service.
“Since then the business has grown significantly with increased turnover as well as a rise
in the number of customers visiting our salon.
“We have continued to make major inroads
into reducing our environmental impact. This
includes putting in place initiatives which have
seen us reduce our carbon emissions by 90%
and increase the amount of the salon’s waste
successfully diverted from landfill to 95%.
“We believe these changes will help ensure
the long-term success of the business.”
Élan Hair Design is unique, not only in the
north-east of Scotland, but in the wider UK
market too. Indeed, the environmental and
commercial benefits gained by Élan could act
as a template for other like-minded businesses
throughout the country to follow.
HAIRDRESSING
HEROES
In the long term I hope my research will influence ESD developments
SUSTAINABILITY AND HAIRDRESSING HEROES
“Simplicity is the keynote
of all true elegance.”
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is about using education to highlight and address environmental issues such as climate
change, population growth, the use of finite resources and social
inequality. The Sustainability in the Creative Industries European
College project is an example of ESD practice whereby the College
partners share knowledge and experience to promote sustainability.
At Fife College, one of the exercises to promote sustainability in the
hairdressing curriculum has been by using the Hairdressing He-roes
workbook. The workbook started as a work placement project with
Dumfries and Galloway College as part of my MSc in Carbon
Management. As a result of this work I am now the Sustainable Development Adviser in the College and a Project Consultant with the
Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges. In both roles I aim to promote sustainability in the curriculum across College
education in Scotland. I believe there is no area of the curriculum
where ESD cannot be incorporated, however work is required to ensure staff have the knowledge and confidence to engage effectively
with ESD. Care also needs to be taken to avoid extra pressure on an
already overstretched curriculum so that links can be made to
existing course provision to incorporate ESD.
Through this work I met Christine Laing from Fife College and realised she shared my passion in addressing sustainability issues through
education. To help achieve this Christine is determined to build a ‘green
salon’ in the College as a valuable teaching resource for hairdressing
students. We decided to work together and Christine asked if I would
meet with the Hairdressing students to show them links bet-ween
environmental issues and hairdressing practices and also possible
solutions to reducing the environmental impacts of hairdressing.
Leading on from this, the students are now working with the Hairdressing Heroes workbook to further their sustainability understanding. This
Hairdressing Heroes workbook is designed to be used either directly by
students, or by staff to assist them in embedding sustainability within
their course delivery. The workbook aims to link sustainability with
current hairdressing teaching and practice, where appropriate, but it also
addresses other areas of our lives that raise sustainability issues. The
workbook also utilises core skills teaching wherever possible, by using
activities that incorporate literacy, numeracy and IT skills. These
activities can also strengthen employability skills by identifying
financial savings by changing hairdressing practices.
I was thrilled when Christine asked me if I would present Hairdressing Heroes at the Sustainability in the Creative Industries event in May
2013 atFifeCollegeasitgavemeachancetomeetstaffandstudentsfrom the
other European partner Colleges. This project is invaluable in sharing
experiences as there is always something we can learn from each other
to enhance teaching practices and sharing sustainability knowledge is a
positive step towards addressing environmental concerns. The
Hairdressing Heroes workbook is now being improved through
feedback from staff and students by research being conducted in a
number of Colleges in Scotland, including Fife College. As the European partners Colleges have also requested access to the workbook this
could provide another means of testing the effectiveness of the
workbook to incorporate sustainability into hairdressing teaching.
Work is now underway to produce sustainability workbooks for other
areas of the curriculum and the existing workbooks have also been
adapted into online learning resources. The first workbook in the
series, Introduction to Sustainability, has also been formally accredited by the Scottish Qualification and Credit Framework. All of
this work is taking place at Dumfries and Galloway College; however
the feedback received from other Colleges in Scotland and also from
the European partner Colleges in the Sustainability in the Creative
Industries project, will all help to inform future developments in embedding sustainability into the curriculum.
Being part of the European project has given me an opportunity to
discuss my ESD work with Colleges I would never have had access
to, which I know will prove invaluable to my research. In the long
term I hope my research will influence ESD developments in Scottish College education and if this can be shared with other European
Colleges through projects such as this then even better. Meanwhile,
in the short term, I will assist Christine in any way possible to
realise her vision of a ‘green’ hairdressing salon in the College. The
‘green’ salon could provide an example of best practice of
incorporating sustainability into hairdressing teaching to be shared
with Colleges across Scotland.
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- about working in a
green salon
Kathja Bjerregaard
I step into an inviting room, the smell of etheric oils hits me straight away
and I sense a calm atmosphere. I’m straight away met by a friendly face
who welcomes me and offers me a cup of organic coffee. I am here to meet
Kathja Bjerregaard who’s a 4th year apprentice in the green salon Haarfein
Kathja, why did you decide to move
to Århus and become a hairdresser? I’ve
always been interested in the beauty
business but I didn’t want to compromise
nature, myself and the environment. I
have astma, and couldn’t subject myself
to work in a traditional solon. There’s a
high percentage of work related injuries
in the ordinary salons. Things like astma,
rashes and headaches are just some of the
big problems in this industry. So I
thought that there must exist other
options. I did a little bit of research and
found out that green salons existed. I
thought Århus was the best place for me
because of the big city vibe and a lot of
possibilities. I applied for an apprenticeship at haarfein, and was lucky enough to
get it, I was really happy with that.
in the heart of Århus. Harfein is a certified green salon, founded by Bonnie
Sørensen in 2005. At Haarfein there are no compromises with quality and
By Maria Jacobsen
service, and the cleanest and gentlest products on the market are used.
Kathja is 24, born and raised in Randers, but moved to Århus to pursue the
dream of becoming a hairdresser in a green salon. Kathja comes smiling
into the room with a little tray with coffee and a piece of organic chocolate
and almonds. We sit by the window in a sunny spot.
How come you chose haarfein?
The reason is that there weren’t that
many green salons in Jutland, and at the
time there were only 5 in Copenhagen.
Besides that Århus is close to my hometown, and I think that the salon looked
very appealing and there was a relaxed
atmosphere. I’ve been very pleased with
my choice and I couldn’t imagine being
any other places.
What are the advantages of working in
a green salon?
Straight away when you step into the
salon and take a deep breath, you feel
the how clean and free of chemicals the
air is. For me it’s an advantage to work
What does it require to
become a green salon?
1. The manager has knowledge of chemistry and health
of products. The manager has
participated in the Green Salon
Course about chemistry and
health and safety in the hairdressing industry.
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2. The owner/manager of the
salon and the employees all
have the 4-year hairdressing
programme.
This does not apply to interns.
in this environment, precisely because
that I don’t inhale the toxic fumes and
my skin is not exposed to dangerous
chemicals. Personally, I think that I’ve
become much more conscience about the
green choice and it has rubbed off on my
private life and my lifestyle in gene-ral.
I’ve become much more focused on
organic food and I try to do something
for environment wherever I can.
What are the advantages, as a customer,
to choose a green salon?
As a customer in a green salon, you’re
sure that dying your hair isn’t environmentally harmful or in any shape or form
is damaging to you or the hairdresser.
You won’t be exposed to endocrine
disruption chemicals such as parabens.
You won’t be exposed to chemicals such
as silicone, EDTA and a long line of
other harmful chemicals, which are used
in conventional products.
What does a salon have to do to in order
to become a green salon?
There are many rules to follow for a
green salon. These are rules but in place
by the EPA and the energy agency. Both
with regards to coworker; they have to
use gloves in all situations to prevent
work related injuries. There are also rules
for the room and equipment; cleaning
equipment has to have the Nordic Eco
Label, paint and equipment should be as
environmentally friendly as possible. For
example FSC-marked wood and towels
3. None of the products in
the salon contains chemicals,
which are on the Green Salon’s
ban list
This also includes products for
resale.
6. Cleaning is done with ecolabeled cleaning products
4. The salon has particular attention on allergies and hypersensitivity. Prior to a treatment
the customer is always asked
whether he/she is allergic to
any particular substances.
8. The owner/manager has to
instruct the employees in the
meaning of Green Salon, and
hand out the Green Salon-folder to them
5. Bleaching of hair can’t get
in contact with the scalp
made from organic cotton. Nothings left
to chance, everything is environmentally
correct and approved by the EPA.
What about you products? Are there any
special products you use?
”In Denmark it is the Danish EPA who
tests new products. Therefore in our salon we always have to keep ourselves updated, and choose our products carefully.
As the development is increasing the
market for green products has become
bigger and bigger the last 5 years. As the
growth is right now, the supply and
demand will become bigger. ”
How do you hope your future looks in
the business?
I hope to take the next step, like bonnie
did when she switched from environmentally friendly to green. I hope I can
help to change the business and make a
difference in green salons and affect how
people perceive the beauty industry.
Once the consumers mindset is on the
right path, the producers and distributors
will follow. As the tendency is at the
moment, we’re on the right path, but the
world needs more green initiatives and I
hope I can contribute.
The sunny spot is disappearing and
the cup is just about empty. I get up
and thank Kathja for the hospitality.
For more information visit: groensalon.dk,
forbrugerkemi.dk
Facts about
green salons
7. If the salon does any kind
of serving, the goods has the
be organic
Source:
www.energitjenesten.dk
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The craftsmanship of natural cosmetics is a way to prepare and condition your skin avoiding the use
of chemicals, and therefore create
your own custom natural cosmetic
and personal care products. Getting
the necessary ingredients for homemade formulas is easy. These are a
few examples of what can be done.
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History
of Jan
» Products must contain as many certified organic ingre-
dients as possible, without compromising the efficacy of
the products
A TEAM WITH AMBITION
VISION
We are a team of “crazy” people who love to have fun, and
who really want to do things differently! We like to do
things very differently ... The man behind the Hair Team
Company Ltd. is Jan Plaugborg Eskildsen from Aarhus. He
has previously worked as a hairdresser, and has been in the
hairdressing industry for many years. The idea of a product
line without harmful substances is based on personal
experiences.
Three years ago, Jan Eskildsen decided to start a family,
which turned out not to be as easy as first thought. His
sperm quality was extremely low - A problem that has
become increasingly common in recent years, in line with
the fact that more harmful and undesirable substances has
found its way into our everyday lives. »I was quite shocked
and my research in this area began” says Jan P. Eskildsen
It was both surprising and disappointing results, he found. In addition to the general problems concerning allergies
and endocrine disruptors, which have long been linked with
the ingredients of modern products, he also became aware
of the fact that hairdressers have an increased risk of
bladder cancer and other cancers. The above facts, combined with redundancy due to cost reduction, motivated Jan
to try to make products that do not contain harmful and
undesirable substances and which do not provide large environmental impact and pollution.
The basic idea was to make hair products for animals, for
hairdressers and their clients. All products should carry the
Nordic Eco-label, so animal lovers, hairdressers and consumers could make a safe choice in the giant jungle of products. The Nordic Eco-label provides the documentation for the
absence of harmful substances in our products, which secures
a safe environment for people as well as animals.
Our vision is to ensure a professional product choice for
people and animals without »stuff, dirt and junk,“ so you,
your pets and all people, now and in the future will not be
affected by adverse substances that can give you, your pets ,
your children and family health injuries and illnesses for
life. Hard words - Yes, but it is facts! With our skills,
professional experience, professional networks sparring and
very large commitment, we create intelligent products with
a trustworthy performance. Sustainability should be
incorporated in packaging as well as in products. We aim to
reduce carbon footprint in our production methods and in
our use of equipment. Hopefully sustainability will extend
to other areas in the future. We constantly follow the
research and development in the market, and we adapt and
constantly develop new products without »stuff, dirt and
junk.“ Innovation and thinking in different ways“ are the
main competencies of Hair Team Company.
MANTRA
Our aim is to do the best we can for you and all other
people in the world, and try to make a difference!
- Jan P. Eskildsen
THE FOUR GOALS WE SET UP WERE:
» Products must perform (i.e. they live up to the promises
and work as intended!)
» Products must be Nordic Eco-labeled
» Incorporate sustainability and environmentally friendly
packaging.
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‘What happened to you so you had to take a leave?’
“Well, I had been experiencing symptoms for some time
such as low lung capacity, inflamed trachea, dizziness,
blurred sight, headaches and swollen stomach. In wintertime,
after working days, I felt extremely exhausted and I had a
suffocating sensation. I spent weekends in the hospital’s
emergency room to recover: I got anti-inflammatory,
aerosols, antihistaminic, cortisone... although later it turned out
that I’m also allergic to antihistamines. Anyway, usually at the
end of the weekends I felt better thanks to the cortisone and on
Mondays I got back to work, until Tuesday February 12th. That
day I could no longer bear it.”
‘Had you experienced those symptoms before?’
“During the last four years the symptoms started to appear, but I
always thought they came from bronchitis that I attributed to my
smoking habit. It has been five months since I gave up smoking.
Before that I started to experience the typical problems of a
hairdresser: contact dermatitis (kind of eczema), rhinitis (inflammation in the nasal area), tearing and throat clearing, so I
paid no specific attention to it.”
‘Did you suspect that your respiratory problems had something to do with your job?’
“Never! At the age of 18 I started working in a very prestigious
hairdresser’s salon in Malaga. The manager told me that working with gloves was something whiners and weak people did. As
we admired him as a professional, it made us (my former colleagues and I) reject the adoption of protective measures, which
at least could have protected us against contact, but not against
inhalation. In addition, our community at that time had a low
awareness on the toxicity of the components found in the cosmetic products used in hairdressing, so I never thought about the
possibility of being poisoned at work.”
Now you are aware of your problem. Can you tell us something
about the diagnosis, the causes and the duration of the illness?
Is there a cure?
At this point she takes a four-page document out of her bag. It
explains the diagnosis and includes a never-ending list of the
food and substances she is allergic to. In addition she grabs a
white allergy mask she leaves on the table. We ask her if she always carries all those things with her and she nods.
“Due to the continuous exposition to different toxins, I have
developed multiple allergies. All these elements are in the composition of the cosmetics used in hairdressing: hairsprays,
solvents, dyes, nail polishes, shampoos, liquids for permanent
waves, etc.
The doctor told me that I have an allergy with the most serious
symptoms he has ever seen, and there is no cure for it. Most of
the elements I am allergic to are not just used in cosmetic
products, but also in plastics, air fresheners, coolants, rubbers,
food colourings and preservatives, pesticides. They are even
found in some natural products like dairy products.”
an enclosed place because I might get an allergic crisis caused
by cleaning products used there or by the perfume somebody is
wearing. Afraid of eating out or going to a shopping mall. Not
to mention the fear I have now for my favourite hobby:
travelling. In my present condition, how can I even think of
getting on a plane?
Sometimes going to a restaurant to meet friends gives me
breathing difficulties because of the air at the place. The same
thing goes for a (public) toilet. Even wearing my protective
mask doesn’t stop all the toxins. Afterwards, I always need to
recover a few days using medication.
In the last few years, a number of blood tests were taken on
my values. These scores were always very high due to the toxins
I had been exposed to and the food that I couldn’t eat. I had a
test a couple of weeks ago and the values have improved
considerably due to drastically reduction of exposure to toxins
and toxic food. I don’t breathe hair dyes or hair spray. I am not
using any type of make up, cleaning stuff or personal hygiene
stuff that is not natural.
At the moment, the neurologist is examining my blurred sight
and disorientation I experience sometimes. It might very well be
caused by the toxins I have been exposed to.”
‘Have you been given a definite answer that your condition
is caused by working as a hairdressing teacher?’
“The doctor says it’t very likely I got the condition through
doing my work. A normal hairdresser handles two, maybe three
customers a day. As a teacher you supervise 20 to 25 students
who are using all sorts of hair spray and dyes at the same time,
so the concentration of the toxins is really high. Maybe I am
particularly sensitive to them, but you tend to think there should
have been more protection measures, such as proper ventilation
and extraction of contaminated air, compulsory use of masks,
fewer students per group and so on.
On the other hand, in hair salons, the concentration of toxins is
lower but the exposition to it higher. As a result, these protection
measures should be applied in all of them.”
‘Now about protection measures, have you ever received
information or training about health & safety?’
“Never. Not as a student, nor as a teacher. Even though we all
know there are official bodies whose job it is to promote the protection from work hazards.
I did my hairdressing work practice in one of the best hair
salons in Malaga. At the start I only washed people’s hair, 40 to
50 times a day, my hands would bleed. The salon owner praised
me for taking ‘so much suffering’ and told me I would become a
great professional. Being proud, I never thought of the need to
use protective measures such as wearing gloves. Nowadays, the
situation has changed considerably but there is still a long way
to go.”
‘These last months must have been hard. How do you feel
right now?’
Silence. She can’t speak. Her eyes are full of tears and she looks
away trying to control her emotions, the suffering and frustration
she feels. I suppose just at that very moment everything comes
to mind. Her moments of anxiety and distress. Fears she has
been fighting against all this time. The puzzled look coming
from her 17-year-old son, who has become an innocent victim of
his mother’s condition. I tell her not to worry, we will proceed to
the next question.
‘Do you know other hairdressers showing any of the symptoms
you had at the beginning?’
“Yes, there are three of my colleagues who show similar symptoms: itchy nose, watery eyes, nasal congestion, face and eyes
swelling and throat clearing.”
‘Why are health problems becoming more common among
Hair and Beauty professionals?’
We live in a developed world where everything around us contains toxic chemicals: Food products are full of preservatives and
pesticides as well as care products and cosmetics such as
deodorants, gels ; clothes, their composition and the use of dyes;
‘So, what do you eat?’
“Eating the right food has become a bit of a problem for me. I
lost eight kilos in three months because I had to cut out on many
products. I turned to ecologically grown ingredients. I had to cut
out on so many different things that, to prevent losing more
weight, I decided to mix the ‘allowed’ with ‘forbidden’ ingredients and whenever I feel the symptoms, I stop eating it.
Getting rid of every ‘forbidden’ food I like, to me would be
the same as not going out anymore, not meeting people, not
going to a supermarket. In other words: stop living.”
‘Basically your life has suffered a great change, right?’
“My life has changed dramatically. Things that previously were
never issues, are now vital to me. I’m afraid of going out into
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furniture and decorative items, etc, etc. Even the water we drink
is treated with chlorine and other disinfectants.
We are being overexposed to toxic chemicals we have supposedly created to improve our quality of life, but in the end they
are seriously damaging our health as our body is not capable of
defending itself against those attacks.
In hair products I have seen customers with burns right after
their first application of hair colouring.
We are suffering a recession and many companies lower the
prices and there are no guarantees concerning the quality of
their products. Quality controls should be maximized in the
cosmetics and food industry. The Spanish laws should be more
demanding on giving information on the use of chemical ingredients and training on protective measures. There are substances in cosmetics hairdressing that are prohibited in some
European countries but they are permitted in Spain. We as
teachers must inform our students. We must apply the personal
protection measures and choose more environmentally-friendly
cosmetics.”
‘In August 2012 our school started a European funded project
on trying to find innovative ways of communicating the ideas of
sustainability with possible new suggestions for green activities,
also for the hair & beauty sector. Since the start of the project
you showed a great enthusiasm and you have been very active in
the (re)search for materials. You also attended the first project
meeting in Denmark, last September. How did you experience
taking part in this so called ‘Leonardo project’?”
“I think it is very interesting and important. We are promoting
researches on the ingredients and elements added to cosmetic
products, looking for less dangerous alternatives, analyzing
sustainable energy sources and how they can be used in a beauty
salon. We try to compare and learn from other European countries that are much better equipped than us even at this present
day. This should have the maximum of publicity amongst our
students, in other schools and amongst professionals in hair &
beauty to create awareness and slowly change and reduce the use
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of chemicals. Things can change. It’s just a matter of time. In a
way, this project can help avoid situations like mine.”
‘Talking from your experience as a professional in the field of
hairdressing, what would you highlight as the milestone of it?’
“I think that most important is to be honest with what you do.
You can improve your health and environment. Protect yourself
and be aware of the products you work with. Know its effects,
the way you use it and how to reduce the damaging effects for
the professional, the client and the environment. Due to lack of
information at the time, I used only gloves, but left out all the
others. Now I regret the mistakes committed, but it is crucial to
recognize it since my case (and of others) will help the change.
In Spain we do not have an environmental awareness and we
place the results before the environment. However, in Europe,
things are changing and the number of consumers which demand more ecological cosmetics and services is increasing.”
‘What is your situation nowadays and will you ever be able
to work again?’
“I have been on sick leave for four months now. At first I
thought my symptoms would be temporary, but as the doctors
discovered what I suffer from and the effects these products
have on me, I had to face it: all cosmetics are harmful to me. I
have always enjoyed my job. But at this moment my health does
not allow me to take decisions about my future. My whole life
has changed and I still have to get used to it. I wish I could work
again, but physically it is impossible. I cannot even go into a salon to have my hair cut because I choke. How could I work
there? But I would like to get involved with hairdressers and
teachers associations to help them with my testimony, and make
them aware of the health problems this job can cause, but also to
inform, so that the future of professionals and the environment is
safer than it is now.
And by doing this, I could continue developing my teaching
vocation.”
a
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,